Software Engineer (Android) - Digital at Costco in Issaquah, WA

Costco IT is responsible for the technical future of Costco Wholesale, the third largest retailer in the world with wholesale operations in fourteen countries. Despite our size and explosive international expansion, we continue to provide a family, employee centric atmosphere in which our employees thrive and succeed. As proof, Costco ranks seventh in Forbes “World’s Best Employers”.

This is an environment unlike anything in the high-tech world and the secret of Costco’s success is its culture. The value Costco puts on its employees is well documented in articles from a variety of publishers including Bloomberg and Forbes. Our employees and our members come FIRST. Costco is well known for its generosity and community service and has won many awards for its philanthropy. The company joins with its employees to take an active role in volunteering by sponsoring many opportunities to help others.

Come join Costco Digital - part of the Costco Wholesale IT family. Costco Digital is a dynamic, fast-paced environment, working through exciting transformation efforts. We are building the next generation digital retail environment where you will be surrounded by dedicated and highly professional employees. We are embarking on a large digital transformation and need team members like you to help us grow to the next level.

Our Digital team is transforming how we deliver solutions and interact with our members across our Mobile, Commerce and Order Management platforms. We have a culture of improvement & learning with a start up mentality and a customer centric approach for our Costco members and our employees. We are looking for talented individuals to join our team and pursue bold ideas and explore growth opportunities.

Software Engineers perform development work across the technology stack (both front-end/back-end expertise). They are versatile in how they can add value, demonstrating the ability to manage the completion of projects that involve databases, backend services, or the development of front end applications. They should be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of emerging technologies to support the development of new solutions. Software Engineers understand the full technology stack and underlying applications, services, and databases in order to ensure optimal performance.

GDX Mobile is seeking an experienced and system-oriented Software Engineer to join our team of technology professionals. The Software Engineer will lead the design and development of our Android mobile applications. This role will involve creating and maintaining the functionality of our Android apps while ensuring they align with our business requirements and user expectations.

In this position, the Software Engineer will play a critical role in defining the technical roadmap, ensuring architectural integrity, and guiding the development team to deliver high-quality software solutions. They will interact with senior business and technology leaders to understand their needs, vendors, and partners to influence technology roadmaps to benefit Costco. Equally important, they will teach, mentor, and grow other domain experts within the organization.

If you want to be a part of one of the worldwide BEST companies “to work for”, simply apply and let your career be reimagined.

ROLE

● Develops the conceptual systems architecture design and the supporting technologies needed to enable new and/or enhanced functionality within a given product/application, applying principles that promote availability, reusability, interoperability, and security into the design framework.

● Supports release planning activities in conjunction with Product Owners and teams.

● Identifies high level requirements to support the definition and refinement of a robust testing strategy.

● Supports the Product Owner with the identification and definition of enablers / work items to support the architectural runway of a given product/application.

● Defines the non-functional requirements (e.g., performance, security, resiliency, etc.) which support the development of epics and user stories aligned to a value stream.

● Identifies technical dependencies across several product / application teams to support the implementation of new or enhanced functionality.

● Performs development, optimization, and automation activities to support the implementation of a product/application.

● Develops and implements front-end architecture to support user interface concepts.

● Increases proficiency and understanding of relational and non-relational databases, distributed application architectures, user interfaces and user experience, quality assurance, security concerns, and business value creation.

● Drives engineering best practices to deliver higher quality and scalable solutions.

● Provides the team with the development strategy, solution recommendations, and estimates for a given product/application.

● Participates in scrum ceremonies (sprint planning, retrospective, showcases/demos, stand-ups, backlog refinement, etc.).

● Creates and executes unit tests which validate the code changes made to support the implementation of a user story.

● Uses test driven development (TDD) practices to assist with the detection/recognition of software defects early in the development process.

● Estimates, plans, and manages all implementation tasks and reports on development progress.

● Designs, builds, debugs, optimizes, and implements solutions in approved tool sets and databases.

● Develops high quality, efficient, and fault tolerant software.

● Supports, extends, and builds automated CI and CD pipelines.

● Designs and delivers DevSecOps automation for app deployment and testing.

● Uses APM/monitoring tools such as Dynatrace/Splunk and browser tools to perform request purepath/waterfall analysis to identify bottlenecks and suggest improvements.

● Participates in the development and documentation of department standards and best practices, and mentors other engineers.

● Provides the team with solution recommendations and estimates for a given product/application.

● Identifies deficiencies within a product/application’s code base and identifies opportunities to improve overall code quality.

● Collaborates with team members (e.g., Systems Architects, Systems Analysts) to define project specifications and release documentation for all phases of the product development cycle from product definition to design, through implementation.

● Conducts peer code reviews for the software changes made by other engineers within a team.

● Defines the overall system architecture, including component structure, module interactions, and integration points.

● Designs scalable, reliable, and high-performance Java/ Kotlin-based solutions that align with industry best practices and architectural principles.

● Evaluates and selects appropriate frameworks, libraries, and technologies to support the architecture and meet project requirements.

● Conducts architectural reviews and provides guidance on design patterns, coding standards, and development methodologies.

● Leads the development team in implementing the defined architectural vision and technical strategies.

● Provides technical expertise and hands-on coding when necessary to support the team in complex development tasks.

● Ensures adherence to coding standards, code quality, and best practices throughout the development lifecycle.

● Collaborates with other architects and technical leads to ensure consistency and compatibility across systems and projects.

● Troubleshoots and resolves complex technical issues; provides guidance and support to the development team as needed.

● Architects and designs cutting-edge Android applications that meet the business requirements while adhering to best practices, performance, and scalability standards.

● Collaborates with backend and frontend architects to design end-to-end solutions that seamlessly integrate with the Android platform.

● Collaborates and works effectively in agile environments with multifunctional teams, comprising of product managers, UX/UI designers, and software engineers, to establish technical requirements and ensure the successful delivery of projects.

● Provides technical leadership and mentorship to the Android development team, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

● Develops and maintains technical documentation, diagrams, and guidelines for the Android development team to ensure consistent and clear communication.

● Performs comprehensive code reviews; ensures strict compliance with coding standards and industry best practices to guarantee high code quality and reliability.

● Identifies potential risks and technical challenges early in the development lifecycle and devises effective solutions to address them.

● Stays updated with the latest trends and advancements in Android development; actively proposes and integrates new technologies and frameworks when they align with project requirements and goals.

● Conducts thorough performance analysis of existing Android applications; identifies areas for improvement and implements effective performance enhancements.

REQUIRED

● Minimum 10 years’ experience in Android development or related positions.

● Extensive experience and expertise in programming languages (i.e. Java, Kotlin for Android app development); demonstrate a strong command of the mobile development, which includes Android Software Development Kit (SDK).

● Proficient in applying various design patterns to create scalable, maintainable, and efficient software solutions, ensuring code reusability and flexibility.

● Extensive experience in crafting comprehensive solution architectures that address complex business challenges and align with the organization's strategic goals.

● Strong understanding of creating and interpreting sequence, class, and use case diagrams to visualize the dynamic behavior of software systems, and illustrate the interactions between users and the software system, identifying functional requirements.

● Skilled in writing and executing tests to ensure app functionality and reliability.

● Proficient in identifying and resolving bugs and issues in Android applications through effective techniques.

● Proficient in using version control systems for efficient code management and collaboration.

● Experience with a mobile development platform for integrating services in Android apps.

● Strong command of the Android Software Development Kit for developing feature-rich Android applications.

● Proficient in using a modern programming language for Android development to write concise and expressive code.

● Knowledge of databases for managing local data storage in Android applications.

● Familiarity with integrating external services and data into Android applications.

● Skilled in optimizing the performance of Android applications for enhanced user experience.

● Understanding and implementation of guidelines for creating visually appealing and intuitive Android app interfaces.

● Strong ability to convey ideas, information, and feedback effectively to individuals and teams.

● Demonstrated skills in guiding and motivating others towards common goals and fostering a positive work environment.

● Proficient in reaching mutually beneficial agreements and resolving conflicts through effective negotiation techniques.

● Excellent organizational skills to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and optimize productivity.

● Capable of building and maintaining positive relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.

● Analytical mindset to assess situations, identify challenges, and develop innovative solutions.

● Collaborative approach to work well in diverse teams, valuing each member's contributions.

● Flexibility to thrive in dynamic environments and embrace changes with a positive attitude.

● Proficient in analyzing complex issues and devising practical and efficient solutions.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, health benefits - medical/dental/vision/hearing aid/pharmacy/behavioral health/employee assistance, health care reimbursement account, dependent care assistance plan, short-term disability and long-term disability insurance, AD&D insurance, life insurance, 401(k), stock purchase plan to eligible employees.

Costco is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Costco is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or any other legally protected status. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to IT-Recruiting@costco.com

If hired, you will be required to provide proof of authorization to work in the United States.

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